He noted the family-run business, which farms 450 acres, has greatly increased its production of marigolds in recent years. "And this is about the only time of year that marigolds are produced because of the demand from the Day of the Dead." "They're definitely an item that is growing in demand that's for sure," Bob Mellano, vice president of wholesale operations for Mellano & Co., one of California's largest flower farms, told NPR. ![]() Over the years, the appeal of the marigolds at this time of year has spread well beyond the Latino market. Bob Mellano, a vice president of Mellano & Co., one of California's largest flower farms, says the company has greatly expanded its production and harvest of marigolds due to growing demand in recent years. The cheerful hues also add to the celebratory nature of the holiday, which, although it's wrapped up in death, is not somber but festive. The fragrance of the bright orange and yellow flowers is said to lead souls from their burial place to their family homes. The celebration involves the creation of an altar with offerings that include photos of the dead, candles, bottles of mezcal and tequila, and food, sugar skulls, and the cempasúchil - the Aztec name of the marigold flower native to Mexico. That tradition was blended with the Roman Catholic observance of All Saints Day by the Spaniards when they conquered Mexico. It's deeply rooted in pre-Hispanic Aztec rituals tied to the goddess Mictecacihuatl, or the Lady of the Dead, who allowed spirits to travel back to earth to commune with family members. 2, stretches back centuries in Mexico and to a lesser extent a few other Latin American countries. The origins of Día de los Muertos, which begins on Nov. Deceased individuals are remembered with the placement of flowers and candles at their cemeteries. Lucky for me, I love it." This image depicts how Día de los Muertos is observed and celebrated. "You either love it or hate it because it's like nothing else. ![]() "I'm sure some will have thousands of flowers and when you walk up to them, Boom! The smell will just hit you in the face," Jimenez said, laughing. "Our cempasúchil display will be small by comparison," she said, noting that some of the larger altars can include thick, carefully woven garlands of the flowers measuring 50 feet or more, draped over elaborate altar structures. She'll be adding a couple dozen flowers to a personal family altar for her father and sister, who are interred at the cemetery. And if you believe what the Aztecs believed, then your ancestors need the scent to find their way back to you," she said. "An altar just isn't complete without them. Still, Jimenez expects that will include thousands of the vibrant orange flowers, whose pungent scent comes from their leaves and stem. This year, because of COVID-19, that means limiting the number of altars from over 100 to just 80. Jimenez is the altar coordinator for the cemetery's annual Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, festival and oversees the installations of ofrendas put together by families commemorating their deceased loved ones. "I love that smell and I love that it just hangs in the air," she told NPR. The musky smell of marigolds, or cempasúchil, were thick throughout Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles on Saturday, and Angie Jimenez couldn't wait for it. ![]() This Día de los Muertos altar on display at a public shrine in Oaxaca, Mexico, shows several traditional ofrendas, including cempasúchil - the Aztec name of the marigold flower native to Mexico.
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